Best electric ignition compound?

[Gilded]

I'm not sure if this should go to the electronics, but since this involves chemicals I think chemistry is a good place for this. Recently, I've been wondering about electric ignition (especially high explosives are something you don't want to light with a match). The only useful electric ignition what I can think of is nickel-chrome wire (its resistance grows as current increases so it burns). I don't think it's used too often and that some compounds can be ignited quite easily with only 1,5V. Sadly, I can't think of any. Suggestions?

[Lance]

A flyback transformer would be effective and reusable.

[jsatan]

ni-chrome wire coated in ping-pong balls(deisloved in acetone) works great, heats the wire burns the ping-pong ball.

 

js

[YT2095]

oh dear !

 

what a lame thread, I`de ALMOST be tempted to answer in it, if it wasn`t for the fact that HiEx was mentioned, now I can hardly stop myself from laughing ))

 

anyone with access to to HiEx wouldn`t need to ask such things!

 

 

oh, and by the way, you may try your Ni-Chrome and MonoNitroCellulose (ping pong ball stuff) you STILL won`t set off HiEx with it , nor with a 14 lb lump hammer and a box of matches etc.. ROLFLOL )))))

[Gilded]

...I meant that you could electrically ignite the blasting cap, which would then explode the HE.

[jgerlica]

...I meant that you could electrically ignite the blasting cap, which would then explode the HE.

I'll take this one YT. Ummm..... Yeah.....For the sake of argument, let's say you have a M7 non-electric blasting cap. Why on god's green earth wouldn't you just buy some damn fuze? Otherwise, invest in *gasp* electric blasting caps.

[jgerlica]

Reply from YT in 10, 9, 8,......

[YT2095]

not at all, I totaly agree with what you said

[Gilded]

Well, do you have any idea how expensive good blasting caps and fuse are? They cost like... Many euros! No really, I just want to know alternative ways for it (because sometimes you just don't have fuse and blasting caps with you and you got to pull a MacGyver).

 

And YT, even though you seem to be the Grandmaster of All Things Pyrotechnics & Stuff, it makes me rather sad when someone goes "ROFLOL! lame thread, thiz d00d doesn't know about hiex n blasting caps".

 

"oh, and by the way, you may try your Ni-Chrome and MonoNitroCellulose (ping pong ball stuff) you STILL won`t set off HiEx with it , nor with a 14 lb lump hammer and a box of matches etc.. ROLFLOL )))))"

 

Perhaps we are not thinking of the same thing when we see the words "high explosive"? It's just an explosive that causes gases to expand faster than... well, a low explosive. And there are indeed some high explosive materials that can be set off with just a match...

[YT2095]

it likewise makes me rather annoyed when I hear someone on about detonating explosives, when they have to ask such "Lame" (and I make no appologies for that) question about HOW to cap it!

 

you have no business messing with such things when you can`t even work out the basics!

 

my advice to you (and anyone else with such thoughts) is Learn to Walk before you start Running! you`ll probably live longer!

[Gilded]

I didn't exactly ask anything about capping anything (just gave an example that stated that messing around with HE is not a lot of fun without proper capping and fusework). I was just wondering which compounds are suitable to be ignited with just a 1,5V-3V current. I am truly sorry if I gave another impression. And I admit that my knowledge about explosives (especially high explosives) is rather limited and that I have no interest in messing with them right now.

[YT2095]

I (we) are not having a go at you per se

 

but you must realise that to start a "flame" electricaly isn`t all that hard, even with the voltages you mentioned, a simple flash bulb with the laquer peeled off will do that!

or a simple wire coil made by a copper strand around a pin or needle then coated in dissolved match heads will work, but they WON`T detonate HE, but WILL be great for cheap rocket engine ignitors, or remote control campfire ignition during a Ghost story

 

 

for HE (MacGuyver style) you`ll need to learn alot of Chem 1`st, and rem also that not ALL you see on TV is real and/or true.

 

personaly for HE det I`de make HMTDAN or TCAP, perhaps even a Picrate if I had access to the medicine cabinet too. either way, if you have to ask about any of these things (and ALL are ilegal!!!!) HE is not for you.

join the Army and learn about Hydrodynamics and Ordinance disposal, it`s a good career too!

[Gilded]

Join the army? In Finland we have three options: army, non-military service (no thanks) or jail (no thanks). So even if I would hate explosives, basically I'm going to have to deal with them. Great.

 

By the way, I've seen a formula of a "plastic high explosive" that's made with ammonium nitrate, nitromethane and denatured ethanol (+ optional aluminum powder) and should provide a 18,000fps explosion. I have doubts of it actually working, and since making it is pretty dangerous (heating the nitrate etc.) I'm probably going to leave it alone. Have you ever heard about or tried this formula, YT?

[YT2095]

I`ve heard of similar, the denatured alc is a bit alien to me though?

 

 

the AN and NM with alu, is basicly a Kinepak slurry, if the mix is "dry" it can be worked as a TYPE of plastic, but more like a blocky clay, it`s not very good and has a short shelf life, it`s a basic "mix it and blow it" type.

left anymore than a few hours it`ll lose it`s power and risks self detonation (due to the Alu and AN).

 

but yes, I`m familiar with something similar

[Gilded]

"the denatured alc is a bit alien to me though"

 

If I remember correctly, you're supposed to soak the AN granules in denatured alcohol until they turn deep brown and dry them, then mix them with nitromethane. I wonder if it does any good.

[YT2095]

it does no good chemicaly, pure and dry AN will work a lot better!

[jgerlica]

Well, do you have any idea how expensive good blasting caps and fuse are

Now buy yourself some masking tape and lay a strip down sticky side up. Use smokeless powder from any cartridges handy to make a somewhat consistent powder train. Fold the sides of the tape over and viola' instant fuze.

 

By the way, I've seen a formula of a "plastic high explosive" that's made with ammonium nitrate, nitromethane and denatured ethanol (+ optional aluminum powder) and should provide a 18,000fps explosion. I have doubts of it actually working, and since making it is pretty dangerous (heating the nitrate etc.) I'm probably going to leave it alone. Have you ever heard about or tried this formula, YT?

 

Hope you plan on doing alot of stumping, ditching, or quarrying. You'd be better off using an AMFO slurry. 18,000 fps is going to give you crap for brisance. Let us compare this to TNT....22,600, or C4 at 26,400. Don't worry about heating the AN, you'll get a really nice buzz from the nitrous oxide released....now I don't recall right offhand, but 640 F is the temp where you start having bad things happen.

[Gilded]

Yeah, the instructions I saw said that 60 degrees Celsius was a good temp. for drying the AN. And about the fps thing, isn't 18k enough to cut steel? Or maybe it was 24k.

 

By the way (again), with a blade sharpener or something, could you make fine aluminum powder by sharpening a sheet of aluminum with ease or would the sharpener just get filled aluminum? I mean, fine enough for a thermite-grade powder, because it seems that most aluminum powder (atleast superfine German black and other pyrograde powders) are somewhat regulated. :/